Electronic Control Security (ECSI), Inc., a leading provider of security solutions to governments, nuclear power facilities and corporations worldwide, provided details on the anti-terrorism technology capabilities of their Water Infrastructure Security Environmental WISE initiative.

The final report by the members of the 9/11 commission stressed the enormous amount of work still needed to be done to secure the nation's infrastructure and highlighted the probability of additional major terrorist attacks in the United States. The WISE system is designed to provide complete end-to-end monitoring and protection for the vitally important water supply infrastructure.

Electronic Control subsidiary Clarion Systems founder Martin Harmless said, "The response by the U.S. Army to our demonstrations at Fort Leonard Wood showed that the Sentinal, a fully automated on-line multiple parameter sensor array that can instantly detect chemical, biological and nuclear threats to water supplies, has significant advantages over the competition."

The Sentinal, while vital to detecting any possible contamination caused by a terrorist attack, was only part of the answer to creating a WISE total water system security solution. By monitoring all parts of the system in real time, the Sentinal gives water systems managers the instant information necessary to reconfigure the systems isolating any contamination preserving their ability to maintain the critically important water delivery capability. Beyond the ability to detect and isolate sources contaminated by a terrorist attack, Clarion recognized the need for proactive security measures that detect attacks and intrusion attempts before they are able to cause any contamination or damage.

Water systems have certain critical vulnerabilities that make them attractive terrorist targets beyond their role as vital suppliers of water. Dams are sensitive targets, and perhaps most critically, many systems store large amounts of highly concentrated chlorine, which poses an enormous hazard, such as the devastation that occurred in Bhopal, India.

"When we were approached by Electronic Control Security, we realized that their outstanding security capabilities and experience in protecting significant critical infrastructure systems including nuclear plants were a perfect fit to extend the Sentinal into a WISE total solution for water security that could protect not only the water supply itself but the full range of water supply infrastructure," Harmless said.

Arthur Barchenko, chairman and CEO of ECSI said, "Our experience in providing security solutions to the nuclear industry has shown us the important opportunities in securing critically important infrastructure systems. The unmet needs in water system security provide an enormous opportunity that will take the nation many years and many billions of dollars to secure."